Humidifier



July 3, 1928.

J. ARMSTRONG HUMIDIFIER Filed Oct. 8, 1926 wwf.. Q.

Patented July 3, 1928.

uNirED-STATESQPATEN T CiFi-fregi,

JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, or Aniston, Massaciausiir'rs, assienoa 'ro Annalenlots- TENING comrANY, or nosroN, MassAcHusnrrs: a conroaanon or`Application October. a,

This invention 'relates to improvements ini` humidifiers. Moreparticularly it relates to alint and .dirt collectoradapted to be set inthe drip-pan of a humidifier, especially one of the vertical forceddraft .type whereby lint and other foreign `matter,f which may find itsway into the drip-pan, will accumu 4late Von. the collector in suchmanner las not` to interfere withthe free'ilow ofwater from 1D the aninto the waste or returngpipe thereof.

, v umidifiers, ofthis type, having open in,` low `:from the room' air,are` at alltimes receptive to fibres of lint and Aother Aforeign matterfloating in the room air. In factories V where fibrousmaterials areinprocess of manufacture, the amount of `this `floating for; eign matteroften is considerable. Its tend? ency to accumulate in the dripanof thehumidifier necessitates annoying y frequent inspections andV cleaningsof the screen covering, the outlet, where la relatively small cloggingaccumulationma'y cause the over flow or the blowing; of Water from thepanh with consequent injury to materialsin the 2,5room. It is among theobjects of the present infyention to provideefectually against thisclogging of the Waste or return pipe, by inlector which will permitfreeflow ofwater 1 from the dri `pan even after a considerable quantity o foreign matter has accumulated upon it; also to reduce the maintenancecost" of ,such humidiliers by greatly reducing in number and frequencythe inspections and cleanings necessary to insure properhumidifieroperation. Still another object is toprovide for simple, uick andeicient removal of accumulated int. It is moreover, an importantfeaturethat the device as awhole readily may beincorporatedf inhumidiers already built, of types as now4 commonly: constructed. y, i uThese objects are attained by `setting a forest of upstanding lintcollecting pins in positions distributed over the pan bottom, around thecentral drainage opening. Water` flowing shallowly among themisstrained' of l its lint, whichis arrested and heldby the 5 pins. Thepins may be set in circular rows,

both the rows and the pins, being .at com` fortable distances apart, sothat a-relfativel-y large amount of foreign matter may collect tion ofaminute. serting in the drip-pana lint .anddirt col-` i numnnima on eachpin, withoutobstru'ction of the passages`"vailable for"water to `flow tothe cada., f o t The said bottom holding the" ins may be affalse bottom,comprising a t indisk set ho'riiontally' and looselyover" the regular ortight-bottom of the pan. n

A`Quiclrand eiicient removal of` accumw" lated lint `and dirt is`provided for by another feature of'theinvention, by which an overlying,thin* and perforated reinjoaableV isk servesas a removable yto surfaceof the first disk, and when remove free from all entanglin pins, butstill holds the lint. This second iskmay havea central opening withdependin spout which can be set down `througli the` pnl-disk into thewaste pipe, tok

guide the weer therein@ and ,to ,center both disks in the pan. The waterllowsover this top disk and all lint which;` collects about the pinslies upon this. VVhen` this disk is lifted from the pin-plate theforeign matter which has collected about the pins is stripped from' themall simultaneously and is removed the cleaning plate as on a tray;whence `1t ucan be wiped clean with thee'ntire cleaning operation havingconsumed only a frac- It `is intended that the `f patent shall `coversuitable expression in the `a pended b "cliaims whatever features ofpatenta le novexis't in the invention disclosed.

the accompan `ing dra-wings: o

Figure lis an eevation of a humidifier embodying the `present inventionwith the left half of the casings in medial section; Y

Figure 2 is a plan of the collector bottom, shown as a removaiiledisk;land 1 Figure 3 is a perspective View ofits cleaning plate.

f Referring` tothe drawings, and more particularly, toFigure `1, a wellknown type of humidifier having interior vertical air cur-` rent isseen, adapted to be hung from over :head by a pair of hanger straps 10between which is attached a spider l2 supporting the motor-14 and fan16. The upper section 18, of open-ended tubular casing, has-the fan`disposedtherein so as to drive air downward; and an inward projectingflange 20 on this casing, close.` above' the fan, frustrates anytendency of the air to flo'w backward whenthrown laterally oil' the tipsci Qeclrip-pan 30, and cloggingits outlet to the]v waste pipe BALLAsmall accumulation of 1t"V the blades. A second inward projecting flange22 on casing 18 below the fan, concasing is spaceda little below theupper section,'-'and otherV airV is `drawn into the.

lower casing 24 by the injector effect of the draft of air passing fromthe upper-tothe lower casing.

The usual nozzle 26makes aconical' sprafy avvalylr 4met od, but Iforquick and .etlicient removal :downward toward the walls of thccasing,yfrom which the passing air entrams mois# ture beforev passing outlhori:zontally in` all directions. Therdcflector 28 is spaced j jslightly; from the bottom of the drip-pan, 32,1; :permit VVwaste waterfrom above tol flow to the outletjand escape yinto the waste or returnpipel. 'Y

,Without the present invention floating Ylint,,makes Vtrouble.byaccumulating in the there may'caus'e'water to` rise in the pan. I

. Accordlngto the invention'this foreignY matter is tot becollectedandheldy vbefore it reaches the outlet Aso as not to Ainterfere`with thejflow of watefiom the drip-pan. In

" the bottom ofthepamor, as illustrated,ein a false bottom consistingYof a thin plane disc or pin-plate 36, inserted underneath the dec :Yflector 28, 'are distributed theV multiplicity of c pins 40 which dothis, The pin-plate 36 rests upon the'pan bottom with its periphery inclose engagement therewith, so that all water flowing t'o the waste pipe34Mmust Vpass over the'pin plate." A central'discharg'e o ening 381m the'pill-Plate4 Ymfistelswith t e en' trance to the drain pipe. `Arrangedin cir?" cular rows or otherwise y'as maybe con"- venientv around thecentraloening 38 a' multiplicity o f pins llO'each pre erably some` fwhat tapering, extend upward high enough apart so astoallow free flow ofwater aroundV to rise abovelany'wateriow that is ever likely to passover this plate. The pins in each row and the rows themselves are spacedthe' pins, but 'not so much as to permit lint and other foreign matter'Vto pass.

` Those nearer to the central opening 88 may be set closer together;Yand all may be `so arranged with respect to each otherrthat the watermust take a zig-zag route as-it v asses dirt is arrested bythe pins. Theaction is particularly certain because the large area of theplateand-its horizontal position makes ff the Water'spread out thin'upon 'itand V{iow slowly, so that'lint is easilyV caught. 'If by chance any ofthe water should escape under vthe plate 36 it Will-'be ridy of foreignmatter 5 because of the extreme thinness of the Vplace Vthrough which ithas thus passed. Because ofthe number, height and arrangement of thepins 40, a large amount offoreign matlcan Hownp; over any? ugn I elaimasinyinvention'z-"f,

ter may be collected upon them without the way of the waterbeingobstructed, for water v and dirtmcan still be t n' fromY it untilthe pins are loaded to their total height. The minimum time Ywithin.nhichuch Q;loaded condition possibly; canmariseg; nllfbe far longer thanwith any of the devices heretofore advanced, so far as known to me.

c The ,lint or other material can be cleared at convenient seasons byany suitable ofthe accumulations ftheinvention` comprises alsojacleanin` platefLZ "This comprises a `thin vplane dis vada ted torestclosely' on the first. Ithas 'sinall ol44iequal'in numbe;`

and` position tothepins onfthe pin plate,

feach hole' a trifle larger than the: largest j'diameter of'its pm, sothat it is easily rey movable and replaceable.y central o 'en- Iin'thris cleaning platshas adepen i U spout adaptedV to extendownthrough'the central :opening 38 init-li9 pin plateand lit im theentrance' t0 :pipe p34? li'frhe cleanin plate is thus', pbstioned ktork'lie Hat upon t e Jpin platewith the in'g'plate is `raised the ins40`arestr ped cleanythe pins themse ves disappear i on; ,the cleaning plate,rso Vthat it Presents "a smooth top surface holding theflint and theliirit thereon can be easiliand guickly wiped 0 s( ;:.`:f

1. The combination, with-a` pan of a lint collectorcomprisingafhori-zontal plate setlinthefpan in the coursefoffwatertherein owing to thev drainfwith a multiplicit of arrestingelementsonthe distri utedfthroughsaid course'.VV Y

2. The combination with a pan anddrain,

vthe pan circuar with drain at its centre, of a lint collector set inthe pan, com-v prising a thin disc-formi a falseubottom or the pan,Vwith central opening in Iregister with the inlet offsaid"'drain,"gandw1th a multi licity of upstanding pins s apart slighty and, set in a grou around)4 said` eningandin the path of to the said'drain. v 1 A, 1

, 3. The combination, with a'pan and drain, of al separator for foreignmaterialcompris- 1n a'multiplic'itgI of arresting 'elemeiltsdistri utedin the ottom of said jpan,yin' the path of vflow of -waterto said'drain, anida removable` cleaning lplate adapted to vlie in 'said bottomunder the `said How offwater and Vwith lsaid! arresting elementsA risingthrough and drain,`

plate and e waterasit ows the water above it; said plate cooperatingwith said elements to strip them of accumui lated material whensaidplate is lifted from arresting means its accumulation ofV arrestedmaterial. Y

5. A separator for fibres in water comprising a plate having amultiplicity of pins upstanding from its surface and distributed over apart of the plate over which the Water Hows, the said pins beingarranged in staggered relation to each other and to the direction offlow of Water past them, combined with a cleanin plate for said pins,ada ted to lie on sai in plate as a separab e top surface thereog havingholes registering` with and fitting the pins.

6; he combination, with a pan and drain, of a disc with central opening,fitting said pan as a false bottom and said drain as an entrance, andhaving a multiplicity of upstanding lint engaging ins spaced apartslightly in a group aroun said opening, and a perforated cleaning plateremovably lying flat on the disc with spout de ending through theopening and into the sai drain; the pins on the disc fitting the plateperforations and upstanding thence in the path of the water as it ows tothe said drain.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this fifth day of October, 1926. f

JOSEPH ARMSTRONG.

